Adjustable helmet sweat



May 17, 1938. s. E. HOLMES ADJUSTABLE HELMET SWEAT Filed July 16, 1937 3nnentor (Itton'teg.

Patented May 17, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE HELMET SWEAT GlennEJHolmes, sallouis, Mo., assignor to Mexican American Hat Company, ,St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application ,July 16, 1937, Serial No. 153,927

'1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements in adjustable helmet sweats, the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the prior art, the hat band or sweat has been supported in a hat crown by securing the sweat. to the hat at various points in such a way as to space it from the crown at points intermediate to said fastenings; also by an adjustable elastic band attached to the hat and adapted to grip the head of the wearer at several points.

The main objects of my present invention are to provide a sweat band that is adjustably spaced from the crown throughout its full circumference permitting complete circulation of air; second, means permitting adjustment of the sweat to the desired size While maintaining its desired relation to the crown; third, means to suitably stiff en the sweat band to hold its shape as spaced from the crown; and fourth, means located above the sweat band to support and adjustably locate the sweat band with regard to the crown whatever the expanded or contracted size.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a helmet having my improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 1 showing my preferred means for holding the sweat in position;

Fig. 3, an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing means for holding the sweat from vertical movement but allowing horizontal adjustment;

Fig. 4, an enlarged detailed view of my sweat and its holder attachments as spread out fiat; and

Fig. 5, an enlarged section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l designates the crown of a helmet or the like, having a suitable brim 2 preferably with a down-turned edge 3 for stiffening brim, and provided with the usual holding strap 4 having its ends fastened to the respective sides by eyelets 5, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In helmets the crown is generally of considerably larger circumference than ordinary hats, and the sweat band fitting against the head of the wearer, is therefore spaced away from the crown to provide for air circulation between the crown and the band. The prior art shows various means for making contact of the sweat band with the head in a manner that is more or less incomplete dueto the attachment of the sweat to the crown.

My invention is characterized by having no direct attachment of the band to the adjacent crown portion while allowing complete contact of the bandwith the head of the wearer, which promotes security of its position on the head and lessens liability of dislodgment by wind or otherwise. At the same time the spaced relation of the hat to the sweat, promotes coolness by permitting air circulation as stated.

With these advantages in view, I form the sweat in a flat band 6, Fig. 4, which is bent into the form of a loop with its adjacent ends at the rear as indicated in Fig. 2. Eyelets 1 in said ends allow the insertion of a tape 8, preferably elastic, by which the band is contracted or expanded to the desired size for the head of the wearer. The elasticity of the tape connection promotes comfort in wearing.

This loop is preferably of imitation leather or any other sheet material suitable for the purpose. It is preferably made in two layers by folding the upper and lower edges over metal wires 9 which stiffen the flexible band and make it sufiiciently rigid to maintain its position within the hat without direct attachment to the crown. The layers are cemented together and compacted so that the bulge of the lower edge of the band is disposed outward away from the inner face and thus out of contact with the head of the wearer. The upper edge is preferably flush on the opposite or outside of the band so that a holder IU of hard fibre or other suitable stiff sheet material, can be held close to the outer face of the band by fastening eyelets II or otherwise. This holder I0 is provided in pairs disposed on opposite sides of the sweat band loop and each holder has a slot l2 parallel to the band and longitudinal in the holder lug It). Supporting means for the band lugs are provided, such as a pair of eyelets 13, Fig. 3, the outer end of which is fixed in the crown and the inner end is provided with a washer l4 engaging the inner face of the lug holder 10 when the pair of eyelets is mounted in the slots as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The holder lugs can thus slide upon their respective pairs of fastening eyelets in the expansion and contraction of the sweat by the sizeadjusting means at the ends of the loop as above described. The stiffness of these holder lugs of fibre or other suitable material supplements the stiffened sweat at the sides of the hat while a1- lowing the flexibility at the front and back.

The edges of the slots 12 are straight and parallel and also parallel to the band 6. The opposing pairs of eyelets i3 are fixed in a horizontal plane of the crown above the sweat band. The sliding adjustment of the slotted holder lugs on the supporting eyelets is therefore horizontally circumferential, and any required adjustment of the sweat band to a desired size is always by sliding in one horizontal plane of the crown parallel to the brim. The relative position of the sweat band is not changed vertically, but is maintained always at the same height within the crown and at the sameheight above the brim of the helmet. The lugs are preferably in the form of attachments to the band. by eyelets as shown or otherwise secured, and thus serve as holders and supports for the sweat band in their horizontally spaced relation in the sides of the crown of the helmet, and in the same relative position vertically with regard to the brim. The slotted holder lug can thus be made as a separate article of manufacture and provided with holes at its lower edge for fastening to the band shown or to any suitable sweat band by eyelets in the manner shown in the drawing, or otherwise.

While I have shown the sweat and holder lugs as above described, it is evident that the same may be changed more or less without departing from the spirit of the appended claim.

Since the point of support at each side of the helmet is above the sweat, the curvature of the crown allows of providing air space between the sides of the helmet and the sweat, while allowing slidable contact adjustment of the holder lugs upon the fixed eyelets I3 as illustrated in Fig. 2 and the enlarged sectional View Fig. 3.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A helmet or the like having, in combination,

' a pair of inwardly-projecting supporting means on the sides of the crown, and an adjustable sweat comprising a band loop spaced from the GLENN E. HOLMES. 

